Two articles and an editorial in the Bay of Penty Times yesterday generally continued our media’s penchant for male-bashing. Only the front-page lead article was available on the web. To their credit, interviewees from Relationship Services avoided gender-specific formulations and referred to couples arguing and hitting each other, and the police interviewee said they were called out to a house where a couple “were fighting”. Sadly, at this stage such care to avoid appearing sexist seems mainly facade, frequent accounts from men suggesting both these organisations operate under male-blaming ideologies.

FYI, here is my letter to the editor:

“Research has clearly established that domestic violence is significantly perpetrated by both men and women against their partners. Why then did your articles and editorial on July 12 describe only claimed examples of men assaulting their partners, perpetrate the long-discredited myth that domestic violence increases when a nation’s rugby team loses, and claim contrary to scientific evidence that “the vast majority of domestic bullies are men”?

Your interviewee from Women’s Refuge maintained that organisation’s male-bashing propaganda by outrageous claims that “generally speaking men won’t go to the supermarket” but instead will beat up women when expenditure on groceries reduces their funds for drugs and alcohol.

Even worse, I phoned both of the “where to go” organisations listed by Carly Udy and found neither were safe for male victims. The DV Helpline organization is discriminatory against men, responsible for the “cake” advertisements showing only white males assaulting women and children. There are local organisations such as the Union of Fathers that can safely assist male victims of domestic violence and one wonders why they were not asked for comment or mentioned as a possible source of assistance.

Domestic violence will not be countered until it is honestly understood and portrayed.

Hans Laven
Deputy Leader and Tauranga Candidate
Republic of New Zealand Party ”